A Test of Charms
by Anonymous Pierrot
Summary: Manta's (un)privilage of observing sibling rivalry of the Asakura's...over Ren. AU YohxRen, HaoxRen (AsakuraxRen?) Warnings for swearing, shounen-ai and sexual references...yep.
1. Default Chapter

"I saw Marion Phauna crying today." 

"I wonder why that might be?" 

"Stop the innocent bullshit Hao, what did you do to her?" 

After school, two twins lounge around in the living room, doing nothing in particular. One with the long hair sprawled across the three seat couch, drinking a can of coke. The other with the shorter hair sitting on the floor, leaning across a glass coffee table. A very average looking scene, but there's nothing average about these two. OK, twins in its self isn't something you see everyday around here, but the fact that these two are actually sitting down and having a civilized conversation is an amazing feat. Maybe I should take a photo of this. 

"Marion's the blond girl isn't she?" I ask, sipping my cup of tea. I look up at Yoh-kun for confirmation. 

"Yah, the one that carries the doll that looks like you." Yoh-kun grins down at me, biting into a large apple. I smile a kind of forced smile. 

"Yeah, her." Hao says dismissively. "She said she wanted to go out with me. I said stop wasting my time and go play with her dolls." 

"Hao!"

"Um… couldn't you have said in a bit more of a nicer way?" I say, hesitantly. Hao scares me a little. He looks identical to Yoh-kun facial features wise, except that they both pull different expressions, so they don't look that much alike. There's something about him that makes me twitch. 

"Did you say something little football?" he smiles. He so doesn't mean that smile. I shake my head violently from side to side. 

"Hao, stop picking on Manta. And he's right, why couldn't you be a bit more nicer in your answer? Doesn't hurt does it?" Yoh-kun sighs a kind of defeated sigh. I sigh along with him. "It's a wonder how the girls still flock to you even though you're such a bastard."

"They like the cool and mysterious type." I mumble.

"Besides, I look good."

"…" I really wonder where he gets this confidence from.

"But we're twins, so we look the same…" 

"I think that's beside the point." 

"…" I sigh again. 

"But it's true, why do the girls flock to you?" Yoh says, resting his elbow on the coffee table, and resting his cheek on his had, lazily chomping at the apple. 

"It's not only the chicks." Hao flutters his eyelashes. I hope I didn't really see that. There's something really wrong with Hao fluttering his eyelashes.

"You mean guys too?" Yoh-kun asks, his head perking up a fraction. 

"Yep." Hao says, and takes a drink out of his coke. 

"I suppose you can look like a girl if you tried…" I say before I can stop myself. The empty can of coke hits my head. I think I can see stars. "Manta!" Yoh-kun panics, and sits me up. "Hao, stop picking on him already!"  
"He started it." Hao snorts, and leans back into the couch. "Football, have you not hear the word homosexual before?"  
"I have, you'd be surprised…" I say and rub my head. I can feel a bump coming along. "I'll be alright Yoh-kun." I sit up and resume sipping my tea. Maybe Hao's coke can wasn't empty, this tea tastes suspiciously sweet. 

"Guys, huh? Anyone I know?" Yoh-kun says, sitting up and looking over at Hao. Hao raises an eyebrow. "And why would you care?"   
"Just am." Yoh-kun pulls an unbelievably innocent face. 

"…Nichrome came up to me the other day." 

""Nichrome?"" Yoh-kun and I both say in synch. "Nichrome's that little guy with the long plait…"  
"…who hates Ren." Yoh-kun finishes off for me.   
"Yep." Hao says, now opening a packet of chicken flavored Twisties. 

"So what did you say to him?" 

"I just smiled at him and said thanks. I'll string him along and see what happens."

"… you're such a bastard." Yoh-kun mutters, and attempts to throw the apple core at Hao. He dodges. 

"What do you mean? It's not like I'm in a steady relationship with anyone, is it?" Hao says, smiling that smile. I shudder. Yoh-kun laughs forcebily. Yoh-kun and I both sit there in an uncomfortable silence. I really wonder about Hao's way of seeing things. Or maybe it's just me.

"So how goes your sex life?"

I spit out my tea. Yoh-kun looked like he was about to fall backwards. Great conversation starter, Hao.

"You're sick." Hao says, laughing at me.

"No, YOU'RE sick! I thought we were just talking about relationships in general!" I manage to says, recovering. Since I spat out all me tea I decide to help myself to the almonds in front of me to calm my nerves. 

"Yeah, sexual relationships, what gives?" Hao smiles. He throws a couple of Twisties in his mouth. "Still a relationship. So what about yours? It's not fair that I give away all my details." pointedly Hao looks at his twin.

"…why would you care?" Yoh-kun mumbles. Looking away.

Hao smiles slyly. "I see you haven't been getting any." Maybe I should leave. "What about that Anna girl?"  
"She hates me, and I don't really like her." Yoh-kun says, picking at a couple of almonds and splitting them in half with his front teeth.   
"No, she doesn't hate you." Hao says, still eating the Twisties. "I think she has it for you."   
"Haha."  
"Besides, she's hot, isn't she?"   
"… you really are a bastard." Yoh-kun mumbles with his mouth full of split almonds. "I'm not that cheap."

"And what about you football?" Hao turns to me. I guess he ignored Yoh-kun's later statement. I laugh miserably. "I guess you don't have any relationships like that, would you?"   
"Hao, for the last time, stop picking on him!" Yoh-kun says defensively. He spits an almond half at Hao. Again, he dodges.  
"Aww, isn't it nice to have such a caring friend" Hao says mockingly, and throws the empty Twisties packet at Yoh-kun, which hits him on the head. I sigh.   
"Speaking of your friends, that Ren guy 's cute. Is he committed?" 

"Huh?"

"Ren. The Chinese boy. Gorgeous eyes. Is he free?"   
"…what are you thinking?" A dark aura is surrounding Yoh-kun as his voice drops a fraction. Maybe I should really leave. 

"Can't you tell?" Hao says, raising an eyebrow.

"Keep your hands off him." 

"And why should I?" 

"I don't like the thought of you near him…"

"Really." 

"Back off."

"I always get what I want."

I sense a storm brewing. 

"Don't talk about Ren as if he's some cheap toy." 

"I never said he was, and I don't see him as that." Hao says darkly. "I have _some_ reserve you know."

I was about to say I wonder, but managed to restrain myself. That remote control is too close to Hao for comfort.

"Yeah right." Yoh-kun spits out. I guess he beat me to it. "Like you give a damn about anyone other than yourself."

"What, can't fuck Ren because he's your friend?" Hao narrows his eyes and says in a cruel tone. 

"Hao!"

Yoh-kun jumps towards Hao, leaping over the coffee table. I really admire these two's athletic skills. Maybe I should go away before I get involved.

"You two!" A large female voice intervenes. I turn to the door and see the twin's mother, Keiko-san standing there with her hands on her hips. "I told you not to fight in the living room! Look at the mess! Clean it up before dinner, if not you get no dinner!"

""Yes mum.""

"…" I shudder. It's so wrong when those two synch voices and facial expressions. 

Keiko-san goes away, and the twins relax slightly. 

"You're fault" Yoh-kun breaks the silence and sits down again.   
"Stop being such a kid." Hao snorts, and sinks into the couch. 

Uneasy silence.

"...So don't go near Ren if you're thinking of touching him." Yoh-kun breaks the ice.  
"And how can you stop me?" Hao smirks. "Not like you can say, 'Ren, don't let Hao near you because he plans to rape you, when really I want to push you down and screw you now.'" Hao mimics Yoh-kun's usual tone and rolls his eyes. My brain blanks for a couple of seconds. 

"What do you mean by that?" Yoh-kun resumes nibbling at the almonds.  
"What, you think you were hiding the fact that you've been looking at him?" Hao laughs. "You are so pathetic Yoh, it makes me want to cry."   
"Haha."  
"Yoh-kun, do you…like… Ren-kun? In…that…kind of way?" I cautiously ask Yoh-kun. He turns to me with a sheepish grin. "Well, I guess you could say that…" he chuckles. "Yeah, I guess I do."  
"That makes him homosexual football." Hao says, throwing a couple of almonds into his mouth with the exact same gesture as he did when eating the Twisties. "Or maybe he's bisexual." frowning, Hao mumbles to himself. 

"So that's why you look at Ren-kun so much!" I say, my brain clicking. I smile at Yoh-kun. 

"Yep." Sheepishly he grins. 

"And why you always follow him around wherever he goes." 

"Uhuh."

"And why you brush up behind him when it's crowded."

"Um…" 

"And why you dreamily talk describe Ren-kun's face."

"I guess…" 

"And why you describe his body in painstaking detail."

"…" 

"…football, hello? You've been watching all of this an it hadn't clicked until now?" Talk about thick, Hao mutters under his breath. But I hardly heard it. 

"Yoh-kun, I'll support you!" I say, giving him a big grin and a thumbs up. "You two should get together!" 

"Manta?" 

"Jealous?" Hao's smooth voice intervenes. But I shake my head. 

"No no, why would I be? I just want Yoh-kun to be happy, that's all." I smile at him. "You look really really happy when you're with Ren-kun." Yoh chuckles, and pokes his tongue out. He's blushing. I smile and laugh along with him. 

"Hello, aren't you forgetting someone?" Hao says in an irritated voice, throwing one almond at Yoh-kun, and the other at me. They both hit us on the head. "So let me get this straight: Football, you're going to set my brother up with his gorgeous little Chinese friend, whom I've obviously had my eyes set on." 

"Since when did you have your eyes on him?" Yoh-kun asks incredulously. 

"Since always." Hao says in a low voice. The previously aloof and flimsy Hao seems to have disappeared, and now there was a serious Hao in front of me. That in its self can be a bit scary. 

"…well, first in best dressed, isn't it?" Yoh-kun says in an equally low voice. 

"Is that a challenge, little brother?"

"Sure, why not?"

I begin to realize that trying to set up Yoh-kun with Ren-kun might be a bit more harder than I first anticipated. I sigh, wondering how I'm going to do this without being abused by Hao. 

------------------

Ahahahhahahahahaha, good bye. *attempts to run*

I never thought these twins would ever get along had they been normal twins in a normal household. Well, they're not really normal. Hao sounds like such a girl ^^; I really would not have a clue how guys talk in a guys only gathering. I really wouldn't. This fic was basically spawned because I started some random conversation between Hao and Yoh, with Manta somehow narrating. And why it ended up like this is beyond me. o_0;

So here's a hypothetical situation (do we call this AU?) where what if Hao and Yoh were normal (?) twins who went to school (haha scary thought) and both went for the same person? Some may be wondering, "Why Ren? Why not Anna?" ...Well, to put it mildly, I don't like Yoh x Anna or Hao x Anna, and there really isn't enought Yoh x Ren out there, let alone Hao x Ren. This makes it much more funny situation wise. ;D Besides, I love Ren so much, and as long as he's loved, it's all good (but I don't seem to like Horo x Ren that much... funny that. o_0;)

Now, here's the deal, I'll try something different with this fic: I will take (to a degree) requests on what should happen. yep, a request fic... I'll take into account feedback people give me, I'll lead things in a direction navigated by the readers, so put in ideas and so forth via reviews or e-mail. Frankly, I have no realy idea where this is heading (but I have a very vague one). Besides, I love both Yohren and Haoren, I CAN'T CHOOOOOSE! *noooo....* So tell me things like who should win, possible situations etc. The next chapter is like an introductory characters chapter, so have a look at that too. ;) See who are the unfortunate players in this fic... ahahahaha.

This fic will continue as long as it continues....


	2. The main players

"A bet with Hao??" Horohoro raises a squeaky voice as he looks at Yoh-kun incredulously. We're all sitting in the classroom and lunchtime, having random conversations when Yoh-kun for some reason mentions the race against Hao. A race to see who could win the heart of Tao Ren, the unfortunate soul who's managed to capture the attention of these two twins. Ren-kun's in the library doing duty, and so the rest of us, Yoh-kun, Horohoro, Lyserg, Chocolove and myself are sitting down enjoying lunch. 

"Well, yeah…" Yoh-kun replies sheepishly. "Maybe in retrospect I shouldn't have been too competitive with him…" Yoh-kun scratches his head numbly, grinning helplessly.   
"Yoh, are you nuts? This is HAO we're talking about. I know he's your brother and all, but really, competing with that maniac…" Horohoro shakes his head, and leans back in his chair.   
"Yoh-kun, I don't think that was a very smart move…" Lyserg disapproves openly. "And besides you're competing against Hao, that doesn't make you any better than him, really…" I just sit there and drink my prima. I don't really follow Lyserg's logic. Ever since he's joined the student council, he's been a bit weird. 

"Besides, what are you guys competing for?"   
"A? Eeem…well," Yoh-kun flutters about, unsure how to go about it. I sit there and nod in sympathy. It's not like you can just come out of the closet and say _"Yeah, we're competing to see who can get Ren's heart first."_ (But in Hao's case it could be to get something else...)   
"Well, it's kinda between Hao and myself so…" Yoh-kun evades answering the question somehow.  
"Sure…" Lyserg says, seemingly satisfied with the answer. 

"You lot."

We all freeze in our seats, movement stopping. We don't even need to turn around to see who is addressing us. 

Anna Kyouyama.

We slowly turn to face her, standing there with her hands on her hips, looking stern ala usual. I break the ice by giving a lame smile. 

"Hi Anna-san. What seems to be the problem?"  
"Can I talk to you only when there's a problem?" Anna-san raises one eyebrow. I just shake my head quickly.   
"Well, it's generally when you want to complain about something we did or are doing…" Horohoro began, but was silenced by a quick slap on the head.   
"Yoh, you're on clean up duty for the day, remember? You're meant to be there now, pronto. What kind of a guy are you to let a girl like me do the clean up all by myself?" Yoh-kun sits there, a sad, sad smile with tears gushing down his face. You know the way it is.   
"I'll be there in a minute, just let me finish lunch at least, na?" Yoh-kun begs. "I promise I'll be there in less than ten minutes…"   
"Ten?" Anna-san raises her eyebrow again.   
"OK, five." Yoh-kun adds hastily.  
"Fine. But if you leave me alone by myself, you've got it coming." Anna-san retreats, and we all sigh a sigh of relief. Anna Kyouyama, the secret dictator of our class. There really shouldn't be such a person, but Anna-san manages to convince and control most people in the class. Even to a degree, Hao. Now that's saying something. I wonder about what Hao said yesterday, about Anna-san liking Yoh-kun. I can't particularly see it in every day life, but it's not like she'd make it obvious… 

"Well, you heard her… I need to go now…" Yoh-kun sighs, smiles and stands up, dusting off his pants. "Nah Manta, before we go to duty we need to submit those forms…" I nod in agreement and stand up to follow Yoh-kun. The two of us retreat from the classroom and plod down the corridor. 

"Yoh-kun, do you think what Hao said is true and that Anna-san likes you?" I venture asking, looking up at my friend.   
"Beats me…" Yoh-kun answers, somewhat disinterested. "Even if that was the case, I can't see it." He grins weakly. I chuckle along. True, whenever I see Anna-san and Yoh-kun together it just looks like she's abusing him… 

"Mari, just get over it."

Yoh-kun and I stop at the sudden statement. Curiosity got the better of us, as Yoh-kun and I both peek into the classroom we just passed, to see a very depressed looking Marion Phauna being comforted by her two friends, Matilda Matthews and Kanna Bismarck. If I recall correctly Yoh-kun said something about Marion being rejected by Hao…and Hao didn't really seem interested in her… I'm assuming she's still depressed about yesterday… 

"But…but…" Marion sobs, hugging her doll (which so doesn't look anything like me.)   
"I know Hao-sama can be a bit harsh at times…but it doesn't mean he hates you." Matilda puts an arm around Marion's shoulder.   
"But he was SO CRUEL!" Marion screams in agony and breaks down into more hysterical crying. Yoh-kun and I wince at the high-pitched sound that's emitted. It's a wonder that the glass windows are still holding. "Hao-sama's NEVER like that to Mari! Or to ANYONE!"  
"True, Hao-sama's been a little…aloof recently." Kanna nods in agreement. "It's like something's occupying his mind."   
"Maybe there's problems at home or something." Matilda tries to suggest a reason for their idol's oddness (as it seems they perceive it as). "His twin brother is a punk and such a moron. I wouldn't be surprised if he causes Hao-sama a few headaches." Yoh-kun looks at me, and pulls a face and mouths _"No way"_. I nod. If anything it's the other way around. 

"Maybe the school's giving him shit." Kanna suggests.   
"Maybe he's sick."   
"Or maybe…" Marion starts slowly, and very dangerously. Her eyes are often obscured by her fringe, but right now you could see her green eyes smouldring. The shadow cast over her face is really, REALLY scary.   
**"Maybe there's someone else who's gotten his attention!"** Marion yells, standing up suddenly, alarming her two friends. Yoh-kun and myself freaked out too.

"Of course, that's got to be it!" Marion proclaims. "There are heaps of people out there who fancy Hao-sama…and someone must have gotten his attention… Mari will hunt her down and make swiss cheese out of her…" My lips tighten at the thought.  
"Ah, that reminds me…" Kanna starts rather absent mindedly, "That guy…Nichrome was it? Yeah him, he went up to Hao-sama a couple of weeks ago…"   
"HE WHAT!?" Marion's ultrasound screech penetrates our ears again. I think the glass on the door cracked slightly…"HE WHAT!?" Marion repeats again, in obvious disbelief. "Mari doesn't understand…no, I don't wha…?"   
"Mari, don't fret. Nichrome's obviously got some preference for the opposite sex." Matilda pats Marion's shoulder.   
"Of course… anybody, regardless for their gender would fall for Hao-sama…" Marion sighs, looking somewhat blissful. Yoh-kun and I synch making gagging movements. But then Marion snaps back into reality after her daydream of 0.5 seconds.   
"No wait, then what did Hao-sama say to him?"  
"Well, he hasn't given a definite yes…but he didn't reject Nichrome flat out…" Kanna muses.   
"So is that a yes?" Matilda looks at Kanna, confused.   
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Marion explodes again. Her rag doll really looks like it's going to lose its head any second at the rate Marion's squeezing it. "Hao-sama rejected Mari but he didn't reject HIM? Little plait brat? Mari lost to a GUY!?" Marion goes on another tantrum.   
"Yeah, well it's not like Hao-sama hides his bisexuality. (Anon Pierrot: o_0;)" Kanna sighs out, leaving Marion alone to her fits and talks to Matilda.   
"True true." Matilda nods. "Who was it last week? Some random girl from the school further own, three weeks before it was some other girl…then before that it was that Boris guy…I bet even that freako virgin girl Jeanne has it for Hao-sama…" Matilda sighs out, with a hint of drooling fan-girl syndrome symptoms showing on her face. No prizes for guessing who's on her mind.

"So, could it be Nichrome who's stealing Mari's Hao-sama?" Marion looks at her two friends intently. If looks could kill… do I even need to finish this cliché phrase?   
"I don't know…but I haven't seen those two together yet, and no signs of them making out or anything…every time I see Hao-sama he looks composed, not breathy and all... you get my point." Kanna speaks matter-of-factly.   
"It can't be that Kyouyama bitch, can it?" Marion's death glare becomes, if possible, more frightening.   
"Nah, no way. She has it for Hao-sama's twin pansy." Matilda waves her hand in dismissal. "Besides, that incident Hao-sama had with that bitch was yonks ago. As if he's still interested in her. Besides, if he was, he'd be pestering her no end. Actually, if Hao-sama was interested in anyone at all, he'd be following them and be chatting them up and everything. I don't see any of that happening at all."   
"Mati has a point there you know Mari." Kanna approves of Matilda's observations.   
"But…then what else could it be?" Marion collapses in desperation. 

"Little do they know…" Yoh-kun mumbles. I just grimace. 

"Maybe he's being more subtle about things…" Matilda says quietly.   
"Mari will get to the bottom of this…anyone who dares to steal Mari's Hao-sama will die. I'll pull their hair out one by one until their bald, I'll burn their skin with candle sticks, I'll…"   
"That's enough Mari." Kanna sooths the psychotic girl bothersomely (wait, that's not a word.) "We get your point." Yoh-kun and I make eye contact, and we both decide now will be a very good time to leave. 

"My god, she was insane!" Yoh-kun bursts out once we were at least a good twenty meters away from the classroom the three girls had occupied. "What kind of people does Hao attract for crying out loud!"   
"Or more like what effect he has on people…" I mumble, still shaken from observing Marion and her outbursts.  
"Little do they know who's occupying Hao's mind…" Yoh-kun says softly, and grinning lamely at the same time. 

Tao Ren by any means isn't who you would, upon first meeting, expect to be the person to dominate Hao's attention. Ren-kun isn't the most sociable person (I know, I know, I'm not quite the Social King either, but we're talking about Ren-kun here.), and Hao being a really confident, flirtatious and outgoing person, there doesn't seem to be much commonality between the two. The only place where they'd ever meet is school… and let's say Hao only comes to school when he feels he needs to come…which isn't very often. Ren-kun's also very touch about people. He really is a great guy when you get to know him, but it takes a lot of time to get him to warm up to people. And even then, he's not very friendly in public. In fact, I think Yoh-kun's the only person Ren-kun's ever let his guard down around. Sure Ren-kun mucks around and fights with Horohoro and Chocolove, has intellectual conversations with Lyserg, but it's different… 

"What do you think they'll do when they find out it's Ren-kun Hao's after?" I ask Yoh-kun, worried from what I've heard earlier. Yoh-kun just grins. 

"Don't worry. Hao won't have Ren to occupy him mind…because Ren'll be with me!" 

… 

…these twin's and their confidence, I swear… 

-----

Wow, that was long… (or it felt like it, at least while writing it…) So many people make an appearance, or are mentioned, but STILL NO REN! Phear not, for he shall appear in the next chapter! (I think…) The reviews I got back (thanks a bunch guys! Your support is well cherished) all seem to be as indecisive as I am as to who shall win in the end! XD I don't knooooow… and at the rate I'm writing, it sounds like it's going to be bloody long. 

Writing the conversations between Kanna, Marion and Matilda was really fun! XD But making Marion speak in third person is a bit of a pain…occasionally I'd type _Mari_ in the first half, then forget to and type _I_ in the second half… it was all confusing, but highly amusing. ;) I think I screwed Marion's character up big time...

OK, Hao, Ren and Yoh stuff will happennext chappie, I promise!


	3. English Class

Lunch is over, Yoh-kun and I plod to our last period, English. I personally like English as a subject, discussing novels and all sorts, but Yoh-kun seems to see it as a time to day dream, instead of contributing to discussions. Well, that's so Yoh-kun it's kinda neat. We've been studying _A Midsummer Night's Dream_, which I think is really complicated with all the love triangles and fairies and mechanics…Yoh-kun would probably dose off in class again… 

So I thought, but as soon as we enter the classroom and he sees Ren-kun sitting down with the others, his smile lightens up, perks up to start a friendly conversation. I smile and nod. This is Yoh-kun. Even though he's competing with Hao to see who can get Ren-kun first, Yoh-kun would never be as…um, direct as Hao. That's the most flattering way I can put it. 

"Yoh, where had you been the whole lunch?" Ren-kun asks in a mildly irritated voice.   
"Ahh, I had clean up duty with Anna…" Yoh-kun's face is a bit tight…he bites his lips, and smiles wearily.   
"Because you weren't around Ren would pick on me endlessly…" Horohoro grumbled. Ren-kun snorts, and turns away from Yoh-kun and stabs Horohoro mercilessly with a pacer. I wince for Horohoro.   
"I needed to talk to Yoh…and you were the one who was annoying me endlessly…all you can talk about it how you don't have a girlfriend…" Ren-kun looks down on the Horohoro who's rolling around on the floor in pain, clutching at his spleen.  
"Ren, what did you need to talk about?" Yoh-kun turns his attention to Ren. He doesn't seem to worry about Horohoro too much…   
"It doesn't matter now…" Ren-kun mumbles as Yoh-kun plonks himself beside Ren-kun. I take my place beside Yoh-kun on the otherside.

Amid the normal hustle and bustle of after lunch one person walks into the classroom and suddenly all is deadly silent. My eyes boggle for a second to see that Hao actually turned up to class. Uncomfortable silence, and all eyes at Hao.

"What?" Hao has a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, as observes around the classroom. Everyone slowly starts to turn away and return to their individual conversations, just quieter.   
"Jesus, you'd have thought that hell froze over or something." Hao strides over to us. I can see Horohoro tense slightly, Lyserg-kun looks as if he's ready to bite Hao's knees, and Yoh-kun's facial expression becomes a tad sharper.  
"Hi Ren." Hao smiles gently at Ren-kun. I can feel my face collapse without me able to do anything about it. Yoh-kun has a similarly disgusted face. Like I said before, Hao can be tactless.   
"What are you doing here?" Ren-kun asks, seemingly oblivious that Hao's talking to him alone. "You never turn up to class. What are you plotting?"  
"Do I have to always be plotting something? No, I just rocked up to see if anything interesting's happening. If there doesn't seem to be much, I'll leave."   
"You're always to self centered." Ren-kun snorts and averts his eyes from Hao.

"Oi, we're starting." Mr Silva (Anon Pierrot: ahahahahah, it's so WRONG calling him that…) walks in rather nonchalantly. The classroom subdues slightly, and most people turn their attention to the tall man. "As you all know we've been studying A Midsummer Night's Dream (Although for those of you who are barely here, in mentally or physically might not), the other teachers and I discussed, and thought it would be interesting for you guys to act out certain extracts." A strange mix of groaning and excitement filled the classroom. I sit there, slightly uncomfortable. I'm not really a performer…hopefully I'll get a small part…

"Sensei," Yoh-kun puts his hand up. "What exactly is A Midsummer Night's Dream about again?"  
"Yoh, what have you been doing in class?" Mr Silva laughs, exasperated.   
"Yoh, even I know the general gist of the story…" Hao snorts in obvious repulse. "There are three parties we observe: the faeries, the mechanics and the lovers from Athens. It starts with the lovers, Hermia's engaged to Demetrius, who's loved by Helena her friend, but Hermia's in love with Lysander, and Lysander loves Hermia back, but she needs to get married to Demetrius, and if she doesn't her father threatens her that he'll have her executed. Lysander and Hermia elope, and end up in a forest inhabited by faeries, and they get involved in a power struggle between Titania the queen of faeries and Oberon, the king of faeries, and Oberon's sidekick Puck, under Oberon's command tries to make Demetrius fall in love with Helena, but then he accidentally makes Lysander fall in love with Helena, and then Puck makes Demetrius fall in love with Helena, and then Hermia thinks Helena has stolen Lysander from her, then the mechanics…" Hao rattles of the events of the story in one breath, as I sit there awed.  
"So," Yoh-kun interrupts his twin. "Basically it's a love comedy."  
"Yeah." Hao nods.   
"Hao, how do you know all that when you haven't been here for, like, the whole term?" Horohoro gawks. Hao smiles knowingly and taps the side of his nose.   
"I have my ways." 

"So what I was saying before," Mr Silva starts again. "that we'll randomly divide you into small groups and make you perform a small portion of the play. Not many lines, it'll probably only go for a couple of minutes. And as the groups are chosen randomly, the parts will be pulled out of a hat. Even if you end up playing a part of the opposite gender, there's nothing that I can do."  
"Oh what?" Horohoro squawks. I sit there dumbly. I don't think anyone would really want to see me as Titania…I nearly gag at the thought of seeing someone like Peyote playing a love sick maiden. Ew. Bad mental images.

"Ok, I'm pulling names out to assign groups!"  
"This has got to be the most careless way to organize groups…" Lyserg complains under his breath.  
"Ok, group one…" This goes on for about ten minutes.

I've somehow ended up in a group with Lyserg, Matilda, and god forbid, Marion. I sit there shuddering. I wonder how Yoh-kun and co are going… 

"Alright… Yoh…Anna…" I see Yoh-kun start to cry a river of sorrow and fear. I sympathize.  
"… Ren…" Now I see Yoh-kun cry a river of happiness. This could get weird..   
"…and Hao." I see Yoh-kun…hmmm… this is really…weird. And bad. Very bad. Hao waves Ren-kun innocently, accompanied by the friendliest smile ever. The wolf in sheep skin. Yep.

"Got all the groups? Good good… now we'll randomly give parts out." Mr Silva says, and again calls people up to pull names randomly from a hat.  
"Yoh…Yoh-kun…" I totter over to Yoh-kun. "I…I'm in a group with Marion…" I cry out of fear. I may or may not have snot running. Yoh-kun smiles, and pats me on the head.   
"You'll be ok…don't let her scare you too much, na…?" I nod.   
"Yeah, you're group's… interesting…" I say, wiping my suspiciously runny nose. "I guess we both have our fears and agendas…"   
"Ahhh…" Yoh-kun nods mildly, scratching his head. 

"Yoh, your group, draw names." Mr Silva calls for Yoh-kun. "Since you've got a group of four, I guess you guy's will perform an extract with the four lovers in it."  
"I see…" Yoh-kun swallows. I sit there and ponder. Yoh-kun and Hao as lovers…ew….very VERY bad…I stop that train of thought immediately.   
"Wait, but there's three of us who are male…!" Ren-kun confronts Mr Silva. He just looks back at Ren-kun, levelly.  
"I said before, too bad if you end up with a part of the opposite gender. No big deal." Ren-kun scowls.   
"Right, let's see…" Yoh-kun digs his hand into to the container containing the character's names. "…Lysander?"   
"Move, Yoh." Anna graciously approaches the container, and pulls out a piece of paper with the name HERMIA printed on it.   
"Luck boy, you two are a pair." Hao smirks at Yoh. Yoh-kun looks slightly uptight. "Come on Ren, draw." Ren-kun obeys with out much resistance. As soon as he sees the name printed on the piece of paper, the aura around him gets considerably dark.   
"Helena? WHAT!?"  
"That leaves me with Demetrius." Hao looks at the last piece of paper from the container.  
"I AM NOT PLAYING SOME LOVE SICK WOMAN!" Ren-kun fiercly retaliates. Hao smiles playfuls and wraps his arms around Ren-kun's waist. Did I mention that Hao can be tactless?   
"Come on, it can't be that bad? We end up as a couple."   
"NOT THAT BAD? The humiliation of acting as a woman…" Ren-kun never finished his sentence as Anna-san smacks Ren-kin across the face. Because Hao had him in a bear hug, it's the only reason he didn't go flying.  
"Are you insulting our gender?" Anna-san asks in a deathly voice. Ren-kun rubs his face in disbelief.   
"Now Anna, no need to be so violent…" Hao smirks at Anna, then turns his attention to the little Ren-kun. "Are you alright?" Hao tenderly brushes his hand across Ren-kun's red cheek. Maybe it's just me, but Ren-kun looks suspiciously red. Maybe it's the slap.  
"So…" Yoh-kun breaks in between the two somehow. "Hermia and Lysander…that's Anna and me, are a couple…and in the end Helena and Demetrius… Ren and you…end up as a couple?"   
"That's the gist." Hao smiles somewhat provocatively, yet triumphantly.  
"I see…" 

"But there's a bit where Lysander falls in love with Helena because of the faerie magic…" I prod in.   
"Really?"  
"Hang on, what's going on?" Anna-san asks, irritably, arms crossed over her chest.   
"We're trying to figure out what scene we should act out." Yoh-kun turns to Anna-san, wide eyed and innocent looking. She obviously doesn't buy it, and punches him in the arm.   
"You guys looking for the bit with the major love confusion?" Mr Silva overheard our previous discussion, and joins in.  
"I guess we are…" Yoh-kun replies, but I don't think he really heard what Mr Silva said. The pain in his arm must be excruciating.   
"There's a segment in act 3 scene 2 where Lysander and Demetrius both woo Helena, and Hermai walks in and has a cat fight with Helena…" I wonder if Mr Silva knows something, and is working with it…  
"Sounds good to me." Surprisingly, Anna-san speaks up and agrees to take the scene. If she says yes, then it's yes. No space for the others to disagree. 

"Excellent. Then you can start rehearsing immediately." Mr. Silva appears satisfied. Maybe, maybe it is just me, but I think he's smiling, knowingly. I think I'm deep reading too much…   
"So it is then." Hao raises an eyebrow and looks at Yoh-kun, then swiftly places himself beside Ren-kun. Things could get ugly here… 

---------------------------

Apologies apologies for the delay in the update… I'm really sorry, I'd been trying really hard to get an update done asap, but it just didn't happen…I think other writers will understand when I say there's the right moods and what not…I just wasn't in the right mood recently, so I couldn't write decently. I've had a couple of other ideas and drafts before this one, but they just didn't sit well so I got rid of them. :P For anyone who doesn't know _A Midsummer Night's Dream_, this chapter and the next two could be a bit confusing, but undertandable nonetheless. Hao's confusing synopsis is just about the way to go really… it's confusing for me to explain it…I suggest renting out the movie one day. No, I'm serious. I know it's Shakespeare, and I am no fan of Shakespeare myself (damn Macbeth…) , but this one is quite good… yeah, the one with Calista Flockhart, Rupert Everett… uuum… I'm sure there were other people in it, I can't remember. o_0; 

Ages ago I had to perform an extract out of_ Midsummer_ as part of English… my mentality's more like Manta's in that I wanted a small part…but I ended up being friggin' Oberon. o_0; So yes, for those of you who are unfamiliar with _Midsummers_ may find it confusing, but those of you who know it will find it somewhat amusing. You just need to know that Ren, Yoh, Hao and Anna act out a scene where Hao and Yoh fight over Ren, and Anna bitch fights with Ren accusing him of stealing Yoh. Interesting, no? ^-^ Hopefully. So why did I choose _Midsummer_? Well, I couldn't think of any other play that involved two guys fighting over a girl, and the SK dudes acting Shakespeare is just wrong. XD 


	4. Rehersals and after thoughts

*Quick key: Anything italicized in quotation marks are lines from _A Midsummer Nights Dream._

----------------------

"I don't understand…" Marion sighs out. "Hao-sama is Demetrius, and that shark hair styled kid gets to be Helena? WHERE DID IT ALL GO WRONG!?"   
Marion goes into another fit of lamenting, as the rest of our group, Lyserg, Matilda, and myself sit outside afterschool to rehearse our extract. The part we got is a bit weird…Act 1 Scene 1, it's the bit where Oberon the king of faeries is plotting with his henchman Puck, and Oberon witnesses Helena chasing Demetrius who doesn't seem to be interested in Helena. The parts that we got assigned were, me as Puck (whew, only a couple of lines in this scene!), Lyserg as Demetrius, Matilda as Helena and Marion as Oberon. o_0; She had a couple of qualms acting a man, but then she read her lines and threw herself in the part. But then every so often Marion goes on her runs of jealousy and lamenting. Like now. 

"Look Mari, it was just the way it turned out… an accident…"  
"Yes I know, but it's so WRONG!" Marion screeches again. "And to think it's the scene with Hao-sama fawning over that little BRAT!"   
"Look Marion, we really need to rehearse." Lyserg sighs out, but maintaining a patient tone. "We're performing next lesson. I'm sure Yoh-kun's group is busy rehearsing too…"   
"Oh god, what on earth could those two be DOING!?" Marion cries out in horror. "Rehearsing…all alone in a classroom…JUST THE TWO OF THEM! Nooooo, Hao-samaaaa!"  
"Mari…"   
"I'm going to spy on them! If that brat tries anything on Hao-sama…" Marion speeds away to the classrooms.   
"Mari!" Matilda chases after the fanatical girl.   
"I'll go and get them back…" truth be told, I want to make sure everything is OK with Yoh-kun's group. If anything, Marion shouldn't worry about Ren-kun making moves on Hao…it's the other way around.   
"Manta-kun! Dear, this is quite awful…I guess we'll all have to go…" Lyserg-kun sighs out, somewhat defeated, and we all pursue the blond girl, worried of what may potentially happen if she gets too excited.

*** 

"So, basically I come in, say I love Ren…" Yoh-kun begins to give a brief summary of how the little extract that they're going to act out goes, for confirmation.   
"Helena" Anna corrects him.   
"Helena," Yoh-kun nods, and continues. "and then Hao…Demetrius wakes up and says he loves Helena…and Helena thinks we're mocking her…and then Anna, who's Hermia comes in. I say I don't love her, and then she gets angry at Helena."   
"That's about right." Hao nods, sitting on a table. "I'm amazed that you've managed to figure that out with your brain."   
"Haha Hao."   
"At least he knows his lines, seeing as we are performing tomorrow…" Ren-kun adds bitterly. 

Yoh-kun's group is rehearsing in an empty classroom. The sun is getting lower, and an orange hue is casting over. All four of us are just outside the classroom, under a window half covered by bushes. We plaster ourselves against the door. We can't really hear what's going on, but we can hear everything. By the sounds of it all four of them are in there…

"OK, so let's try it from the beginning again…" Anna-san commands. Looks like she's in charge here.   
"OK then…" Yoh-kun begins. Marion and I tactfully hide ourselves in the bushes, and peek in through the window. Lyserg and Matilda reluctantly follow.  
"_Why should you think that I woo in scorn?_"   
"Dammit Yoh, you're useless." Anna-san clicks her tongue in irritation. "You have no heart in it, at all! You have to say it like you mean it."  
"But…"  
"Yoh, come outside with me…" Anna-san grabs Yoh-kun by the arm. He yelps, as she drags him out the classroom. I think it might have been me, but she gave Hao a quick glance and a nod… what the hell? 

Silence reigns in the classroom, as Ren-kun and Hao are left alone. I wonder if Marion's worries may be coming somewhat true… I can hear her seething next to me. Dear God…   
"Well, since those two have gone away, presumably Anna giving Yoh-kun a Spartan lesson in acting..." Hao smiles, and hops of the desk. "I pity Yoh's soul." Ren-kun mumbles. Ren-kun is leaning against a desk, his back towards us. I can't see his face, but I think he'd look somewhat tired.  
"…I say we practice our interactions." Hao is just arms length away from Ren-kun. Since he's a fair bit taller, and Ren-kun is leaning slightly, I can see his eye's over Ren-kun's head.   
"Hao, there is nothing for us to practice… our interactions are fairly limited without Lysander in it…or Hermia."   
"Well, we can have a shot." Hao beams, and sits himself against a table, and feigns sleep. Ren-kun rolls his eyes.   
"You just want to embarrass me playing the part of the woman." He says irritably, but all the while standing in a place which is probably his position. Hao, though he has his eyes closed, smiles. He then slowly opens his eyes, and looks up at Ren.

"_O Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, devine!_" I can't see Ren-kun's face, but any bets he's got a disgusted face. I feel Marion clawing at my head. Hao has the most spookiest expression on his face: a mix of revelation, wonder, and…a predatory glance…oh this can't be good…   
"_To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne?_" I boggle at Hao's next move, as Matilda takes in a sharp breath. Hao gets up, and approaches Ren-kun, backing him in to a table.   
"_Crystal is muddy! O, how ripe in show is thy lips, those kissing cherries tempting grow…_" Hao's gotten so close to Ren-kun, the Ren-kun is forced on to the table.   
"What the hell…Hao!" Ren-kun begins, but his voice sounds shaky and short. Hao, whilst saying his lines leans into Ren-kun. He slowly nuzzles himself under Ren-kun, and hooks one of Ren-kun's legs over his shoulder, leaving the two in a very compromising situation. Marion was about to protest violently, but Matilda clamps one hand over her mouth, and Lyserg-kun restrains her by grabbing her arms. I just sit there awed. I knew Hao was direct, but this is just…

"…what the hell is wrong with you!" Ren-kun yells, but doesn't move lest he falls off the table and straight on to Hao. Hao smirks.  
"Acting."  
"Bullshit…" Ren-kun turns away. Oi. Aren't you going to do anything about it? I feel like confronting Ren-kun. If you don't retaliate, Hao'd think that you...  
"_O let me kiss this princess of pure white, this seal of bliss…_" Hao says the last few lines in a very breathy and hot voice. He's murmured them into Ren-kun's ear, lips almost brushing against his earlobe. Ren-kun has one hand tightly gripping Hao's arm, the other supporting his weight. Hao flicks his tongue and nibbles on Ren-kun's earlobe. 

"Fuck! Hao…!" Ren-kun angrily hisses. Hao parts from Ren-kun slightly, and looks at him levelly.  
"Do you want to?"  
"What?"  
"Fuck."   
"WHAT!?" 

"Manta-kun, I think we should leave…" Lyserg tugs at me and points to Marion. She's sitting there in a total state of shock, unmoving. I wonder if I should be thankful or not. On the one had we don't have a ranting, rabies infested girl, but on the other we have an empty shell shocked one.   
"No, not yet!" Matilda hisses, somewhat excited, and looks back into the classroom. "Those two are so… SEXY TOGETHER!"  
I think I'm going to faint.   
"I really didn't think I'd dig it, but Haoren is just TOO DAMN HOT!"   
"Mati…you're a fan girl?" 

"Just kidding." Hao smiles playfully and pokes Ren-kun in the stomach. Ren-kun squirms. "Come on, your lines."   
Silence prevails in the classroom for a while. Hao shifts slightly, and looks into Ren-kun's face.   
"Ren?"   
"_O SPITE, O HELL!_" Ren-kun yells violently, and throws Hao off him in a swift and accurate movement. Hao just takes the throw carefully, and lands perfectly, not a hair out of place. Damn these bishounen type people…Hao merely laughs, as a very flustered Ren-kun stands there, heaving and breathing hard. 

***

"Well, that's something new…" Lyserg-kun sighs out. We'd somehow managed to drag the excited Matilda away from the classroom lest we be discovered, and carried an empty Marion back to where we were before. "I knew Hao was…you know…able to swing both ways, but seeing it…and with Ren-kun…"   
"Well, like he said, they could have been acting…" I nervously twiddle my fingers.   
"Like hell they were!" Lyserg-kun stands up, and raises his voice. "The might as well be…oh hell. And it's not like Ren-kun was retaliating at all…"   
"Maybe he was shell shocked…" I offer an alternative. Chances are Lyserg is right, and Hao was NOT acting. Acting on his hormones, perhaps. Good thing he stopped where he did, if not Matilda may have died due to severe blood loss via a blood nose. 

"I can't let such a vile act continue… poor Ren-kun! He'll be eaten!" I don't think I fully understood the nuances of what Lyserg just said, but when he says he can't let it continue… 

"I'll have to take it to the Student Council immediately!" A

hhhh, I knew it… ever since Lyserg's joined the Student Council he's been a bit fanatic… 

"What was wrong with that!?" Matilda bounds up to us, clearly in a good mood. "Hao-sama was soooo sexy…and that Chinese kid looked so VULNERABEL, it was DELICIOUS! Oh, why COULDN'T they have continued…"   
"Mati, it's under age sex we're talking about here…"   
"Oh, who CARES?" The two begin to argue the pros and cons of bisexuality, and I sit there wondering what was exactly going on: Anna-san led Yoh-kun out, essentially leaving Hao and Ren alone. Something seems very off here… 

*** 

"So rehearsals went well?" Yoh-kun asks me, as Ren-kun and I walk beside Yoh-kun on our way home. The sun has pretty much gone down, and the only source of light seemed to come from the dimly waking street-lights.   
"Uuum, I guess so… we should be OK by tomorrow…" as long as Marion snaps out of her semi-coma, I add to myself. Yoh-kun grins lopsidedly, and eyes Ren-kun out of the corner of his eye. But Ren-kun being himself, picked up the subtle movement, and returns the look. 

"What?" he asks?   
"Huh? Ahhh, nothing…" Yoh-kun beings a bit flustered, but then regains his composure. "Just you seemed…well, it seems like something on your mind is bothering you…" Bulls eye. Ren-kun's face flushes a quite amazing shade of strawberry, as he begins to stutter and get slightly angry.   
"Wh- what makes you th-think that!?"  
"Just you're really quiet, more so than usual…and you've got that face on…"   
"What face!?"  
"This face." Yoh-kun mock mimics Ren-kun's expression, dramatized for special effects.   
"I don't need to be made a fool of by you twins!" Ren-kun huffs, still slightly blushing. "I'm going this way now…!" Ren-kun totters away at the large intersect he turns off to to get home.   
"See ya Ren…!" Yoh-kun waves rather serenely behind the retreating figure. Whilst he doesn't turn back, Ren-kun raises his arm in acknowledgement of the temporary parting message. 

Looking at the Ren-kun disappearing, I begin to wonder what exactly he was pondering about. No doubt that it was about what Hao did to him before…that we (unfortunately) witnessed. Isn't that liable for sexual harassment? 

"Yoh-kun…" I begin, not sure if I should tell my friend what happened earlier that evening.   
"Yeah… I can tell…" Yoh-kun smiles a bit sadly, still looking in the general direction Ren-kun disappeared off to. "Something happened between him and Hao right?" I can only nod in affirmation.  
"Did he…" Yoh-kun then stops his train of speech. He hesitates, but then looks at me. "What did Hao exactly do to him?"   
"Nothing much…" I begin, not sure how to go about this. But then I snort. "Well, not much probably in Hao's books."   
"Sure." Yoh-kun grins rather impishly, seemingly understanding where I'm coming from. We both start our walk home again.   
"He just sort of backed Ren-kun into a table and…well, yeah…the usual." I try to give details, but seeing as this isn't my area of expertise I let it slide.   
"Haha, I bet Ren gave him a bit of a beating for that." Yoh-kun says rather jovially, but I remain silent. Yoh-kun senses something's amiss, and turns to me.   
"Well…not really…" I begin.   
"?"   
"Not really…"   
"I see…" Yoh-kun says softly. "Did…" Yoh-kun was about to ask something, but he hesitates again. "What did…Ren…do then?"   
"…nothing." 

Yoh-kun's face doesn't indicate anything at the moment. He does this on occasions. You can't really tell what he's thinking at times. But you can tell that whatever it is, he's very seriously contemplating the implications of my statement. You can't tell what they're thinking. Perhaps this is another point Hao and Yoh-kun share. 

"But then afterwards Ren-kun regained himself and threw Hao off." I added, remembering the slightly delayed reaction that Ren-kun would usually executed had anyone else done something like that on him.   
"That's good to know…" Yoh-kun smiles a bit forcefully. "Nah Manta, do you think…"   
"I really don't know Yoh-kun, I really don't." I interrupt him. How would I know what Ren-kun thinks about Hao? 

"Hey Manta, wanna stop for some tea or something? It's getting a bit dark… you could stay the night or something if you want to." I look at Yoh-kun, thrown off at the sudden invitation. I think, if anything, he's wanting to talk to someone, no, needing to talk to someone. As a friend who said he'll help Yoh-kun to get his sweetheart, I've been doing a pretty lousy job.   
"Well, if it's OK with you and Keiko-san…"   
"Nah, mum doesn't mind. She loves having my friends over. Last time Horohoro and Chocolove came to stay when we had to prepare for that biology presentation and stuff. She loves it."   
"Has Ren-kun ever stayed at your place?" I ask.   
"…Nah, he hasn't. Really haven't had an excuse to invite him over." Yoh-kun smiles grimly.   
"Yoh-kun… you don't really need an excuse to invite someone over…I mean, you're just inviting me over now for no particular reason…aren't you?"   
"True." Yoh-kun smiles slightly warmer now, and turns to me. "Thanks Manta…I really appreciate this…"   
"Appreciate what?" I ask, genuinely curious.   
"For being here…" I smile back. 

We arrive a couple of seconds later to the Asakura resident.   
"Mum, I'm home…and it's OK if Manta stays the night, yeah?"   
"Manta-kun? Why I haven't seen him for such a long time…" Keiko-san appears from the living room, and beams at me. "Hello Manta-kun! Gee, you must have grown since I saw you last." I laugh somewhat apprehensively. I think my growth stopped when I was in year 3…  
"It's always a pleasure to have you over… Yoh, could you prepare dinner tonight? I know you're all tired from rehearsals and all, but I need to make an urgent phonecall…"   
"Sure… but why can't Hao cook? He's home, isn't he?"  
"He's asleep. He came home a bit earlier than you two and fell right asleep at the couch…"   
"Really?" I couldn't help but ask rather incredulously.   
"What ever." Yoh-kun shrugs nonchalantly, and heads to the kitchen. "Come in Manta, make yourself at home." "Ojyamashimasu…" I say apprehensively, but totter into the kitchen. 

----------------------------

Haha, really not much again, is there? This story is really going in directions I have no idea about…I wrote the first half of this chapter quite a while ago… but it's been sitting still for sometime now. I couldn't write humor for a while, and even the second half of this chapter is a lame shot at humor in my opinion. The next chapter is taking a bit of a break from Shakespear (I have an oral presentation to make soon about Macbeth… let me escape for just a bit, yeah? ^_~)

I might add that in my eyes, Yoh and Manta are friends only. ONLY. Very good friends though. :D I can't do YohxManta to save my life, and I never really viewed their relationship as something like that...I dunno why. At least in this fic, the setting is that they are very close friends with a very trusting relationship. People who have such a friendship are very, very fortunate. 


	5. Over stirfry

"Uuum…it looks like dinner's going to be wind down to stir fry…" Yoh-kun says as he shuffles through the fridge contents. I stand on a stool, and am now at the right height to chop things on the chopping board. Damn all this heightness… 

"Once I had the best stir fry at Ren's place." Yoh-kun starts rather mellowlly as he rummages through the vegetable box, looking at bunch of bok-choy rather sentimentally. "That was the time when his sister was out of town, his parents were away and he called me over because he couldn't cook…we had the best fun…well, at least I did." Yoh-kun throws me the bok-choy, which I catch with the end of the chopping knife (that was so a fluke). 

"He's a strange one, isn't he?" Yoh-kun begins again, still looking through the assorted vegetables in the fridge. "He has something in him that draws attention, even if he doesn't want it…" a capsicum comes my way, and I catch it, again with the end of the knife. Maybe I have some hidden talent for catching vegetables on the ends of knives. Wow. 

"I guess it's fair enough that Hao should set eyes on him…he's just too…I dunno, amazing for his own good…" Yoh-kun hasn't said so explicitly, but I know he's worried. Worried that, maybe Ren-kun has some kind of feelings for Hao. I mean, sure, Ren-kun didn't really resist Hao's approaches at the rehearsal, but he did end up throwing Hao. This is all very much a mystery to me. 

"I guess it's only natural that Ren-kun would have some kind of…I dunno, something for Hao…" Yoh-kun says rather softly. I doubt my ears for a second.   
"Yoh-kun…stop that…" I say, a little held back.   
"I've said it before, but people just naturally flock to Hao…he's got the charisma, he's got the power, he's got the influence…if only I could…"  
"Yoh-kun, stop that!" I say, a bit loudly than I had intended to. Yoh-kun looks at me, slightly bewildered. "That's really unlike you…to be so pessimistic…" Now that I've started, I may as well continue on with what I mean to say.

"You have a charisma too, but you maybe just don't realize. There are heaps of people that surround you and support you…Horohoro, Anna-san, lyserg, Ryu-san…and Ren-kun and me…don't ever say anything like you want to be like Hao…it's not like you…" 

Yoh-kun considers what I've said.   
"Hhhhhmmmmm….you know, you're right." His face loosens up in fractions of a second. I beam back at him.   
"Besides, you're always up for a fight when it comes to people you care about… you've never been inhibited by Hao before."  
"I know I know, and I usually wouldn't…" Yoh-kun begins, scrunching up the bag of bean shoots in his hands. "Just…if it's what Ren wants…"   
"Yoh-kun…" I bite my lip. "But you know, how can you tell what Ren-kun wants? Have you actually asked him?"   
"Huh?" comes the dumb reply.   
"Yoh-kun, you haven't confirmed anything you know…"   
"…"   
"…"   
Silence prevails. Then we both burst out laughing. 

"Come on Manta, we need to make dinner." Yoh-kun says with a new found light, and tosses me an avocado, which I again catch with the end of the knife.   
"Yoh-kun, I don't think you're meant to put avocado in stir fry…" 

*BRRRIIIINGG!*

"The phone? I thought mum was using it…" Yoh-kun heads into the hallway to pick up the phone. "Hello, Asakura household…uh, yeah, sure, hang on a second…." Yoh-kun covers the reciver with one hand. 

"HAO! IT'S NICKROME! GET UP DAMMIT!" 

A stream of incoherent, but no doubt insulting sounds came streaming from the living-room.   
"HAO! PHONE!"   
"Shut up Yoh, I heard you the first time!" A rather groggy retort comes back.   
"Then hurry up! I'm leaving the receiver here!" Yoh-kun yells back, coming back into the kitchen. "Jeeze, I guess you could tell from usual, but he really hates being disturbed by people…"   
"Not a morning person?"  
"No, he's a morning person…just hates being woken up by others…" We both work silently in the kitchen, but we do that to strain our ears, trying to catch bits and pieces of the conversation going on between Hao and Nickrome. If I recall correctly, Kanna said something about Nickrome approaching Hao, as did Yoh-kun some time back.

"Nickrome… you should've left a message on my mobile or something…" Hao says in a semi-irritated tone. "…uhuh….no…When I feel like it, it's up to me, isn't it? …No…yeah, I'm busy with school…true, point taken, but so what every once in a blue moon…why? That needs to be known only by me… I don't think it's anything that you should be interfering with. … …sure. See you." Yoh-kun and I make weird faces throughout what sounds like Hao's monologue, trying to guess what the hell is going on. Seconds later, a tired looking, and least to say, a very unhappy looking Hao appears from the hallway, running his fingers through his long hair. 

"Nickrome?" Yoh-kun asks.   
"Duh." Hao replies, obviously pissed off.   
"What'd he say?"   
"Does it matter?" he snaps back.   
"Let me guess, he misses you or something…" Hao merely snorts at the statement.   
"Yeah, just because I haven't fucked him in, what, two weeks?"  
"Hao, too much detail…" Yoh-kun and I pull faces. "We really don't want to know what you do in your spare time…" 

*BRRRIIIIINGGG* 

"Phone again?" Yoh-kun groans, but it seems Keiko-san beat him to it. We can hear the voice of the twins float through amidst the steaming water.

"Hello, Asakura residence… yes, hang on a second…Yoh, for you. From Ren-kun." Yoh-kun's face brightens up instantaneously, as he scoots into the hallway. Hao has a slightly dangerous look on his face. I suddenly find the boiling water to steam the bok-choy incredibly interesting. I pretend to pay attention to the bubbling water and the swirling patterns of steam, but again, strain to hear Yoh-kun's half of the conversation over the phone.

"Hi Ren., ahh, it's me…uhuh…sure…….nah, don't worry about it…hey, what's new, na? I'm used to it…well, that's you isn't it……like I said, don't worry too much about it…yeah………yeah, I heard so much…… how do I know? I just have my ways…" Yoh-kun chuckles, and continues on. "…yeah….no…don't worry, tomorrow'll be fine…. Yep….uhuh. Ok. See ya." 

Outside, I sit on the stool, still as an avocado, staring at the boiling bok-choy, all too aware of Hao standing just a bit behind me emitting his killer aura. But inside, I was standing with a victory sign. From what I heard, it sounds like Yoh-kun and Ren-kun have resolved whatever misunderstandings stood between there. I steal a quick glance at Hao. I can't see his face because of his hair, but the aura of Jack the Ripper is undoubtedly present. I'm getting just a little bit scared…Yoh-kun then wanders into the kitchen, a really goofy smile on his face. Yoh-kun seems to be in such a blissful state, he seems quite unaware of the evil aura emitted by Hao, directed at Yoh-kun. Or maybe it's just that Yoh-kun doesn't care. 

"What did Ren say?" Hao says, breaking the silence. Yoh-kun looks at his twin, with a loose but determined smile. Hao isn't smiling, but he doesn't look angry either. He's got a challenging expression. Silence prevails for a while, and all that could be heard was the boiling water.   
"…nothing that you need to know of." Yoh-kun shrugs, and turns to the fridge. "Manta, you alright with pork?"  
"Uuuh, yeah sure…" I say. I'm just a little too aware of Hao, and his no doubt murderous mood. Yoh-kun's probably used to it, so he doesn't seem too bothered by it. But I am by no means Yoh-kun. I'm scared stiff of Hao, and am rooted to the spot. 

"Yoh." 

I cry a river. Hao's mad. Even I can tell that much by the way he said Yoh-kun's name. It's not an annoyed, or mildly irritated tone. Hell no. Hao said that one word in a deep, awful tone that foreshadows death. I am too young to die. Dear God, I have nothing to do with these twin's fight…please don't let me get involved… I pray to God silently.

"What?"   
"I don't know why you think you've won. I can tell what Ren said to you. Something along the lines of sorry for being a bit cold to you today, but there is something that was bothering me slightly, I hope I haven't offended you etc etc." Hao says quite levelly. For anyone just looking into the current situation, it would look like a very civilized, normal conversation. But oh, the hidden malice…   
"You've always been good with guessing." Yoh-kun compliments Hao with a smile.  
"Why thank you." Hao accepts the compliment with an identical smile. I shudder. These two should NOT pull identical facial expressions. It's way too creepy.   
"Ren may not want to ruin your friendship, and in that sense you mean a lot. But I'll be the one he'd be thinking of tonight." Hao smiles sinisterly. I wonder what he's getting at…   
"What makes you say that?" Yoh-kun frowns a bit melodramatically.   
"Oh nothing that concerns you." Hao smiles his celebrity smile, and wanders out of the kitchen. I am too scared, and am still rooted to the stool. 

""I don't know why you think you've won…"" Yoh-kun mimics Hao. I laugh nervously.   
"Yoh-kun…"   
"It's OK Manta." Yoh-kun smiles reassuringly to me. "Tomorrow will be fine. I don't know what Hao's thinking exactly, but things'll turn out OK." I nod, feeling a bit more relieved. There's just a way with Yoh-kun, he seems so confident in the face of odds and trials.   
"Well, to know what Hao's thinking is weird, anyway." I beam back. Yoh-kun chuckles, as the pot with the bokchoy chortles.

----------

Wow. I have NOT update for... so many months! *dies* I am REALLY sorry for the lack of update. No, I havn't discarded this fic. :D It's just that I've had a VERY difficult time these past few months, and nothing creative, let alone anything mildly humourous came out of my brain. I doubt any of the initial readers have stuck around for so long... but yes, INCREDIBLY sorry for the lack of update...I am not dead, and I am continuing. Hope you enjoyed this section. ;D Doing conversations between Hao and Yoh, however unrealistic the conversation may be, is SO much fun. OOC, sure. But FUN. XD 

Now follows the actual play... XD


	6. Performance Day & dodgy stirrings

Performance day. 

Our group's scene went smoothly, almost uneventfully. Though I can say with confidence Marion's act as Oberon instilled a LOT of fear in the hearts of our classmates. You know what they say; it's the silent ones you have to watch out for. I hang around Yoh-kun's group, while they get ready to put on their act. I know Anna-san and Hao would rather me not be there, but today they don't inhibit me as much (as usual). I sit around Yoh-kun, who has a happy buzz around him. 

On the contrary, Ren-kun couldn't have been angrier looking. Anna-san wordlessly lent him a dress, which he accepted with a gaping mouth. He was about to throw a tantrum, but Yoh-kun and Hao soothed him into wearing it. Ren-kun was cornered against the wall, trapped by the smiling twins. It's moment like this, when the twins want to achieve the same goal (ie see Ren-kun in a dress) they have the best teamwork. I suppose it's because they're twins. Damn scary. Ren-kun gives in eventually to the persistent twins. Well, with these two twins trying to convince you at the same time, I don't think anyone could put up much resistance. 

"Ready for the performance, Ren-kun?" I ask the sulking Ren-kun. He mutters something, but then looks at me with squinty eyes.   
"No."   
"Aw, come on Ren, it's not that bad…" Yoh-kun says, and tries to cheer Ren-kun up. "Anyway, _Midsummer_ is meant to be a comedy, right?"   
"So you do think I look stupid in this dress." Ren-kun says scathingly. One point down for Yoh-kun it seems.   
"Ren, don't sulk." Anna san says curtly. "Things could have been worse."   
"Yeah Ren. You've got a serious part, at least. Imagine having to be the donkey man." Hao pipes in. Ren-kun narrows his eyes at Hao. I guess Ren-kun's still a bit iffy about what happened between him and Hao yesterday…I would too (but something tells me that I don't have to worry about that.) 

"Come on, our turn now…" Yoh-ku whispers. I totter away towards the audience, and give Yoh-kun a thumbs up. He thumbs up me back. I give Ren-kun a little wave as well. He glanced at me and looked away. I totter over to our group, Marion, Matilda and Lyserg.

"How's Ren-kun coping?" Lyserg whispers to me.   
"OK I guess…" I say, unsure if Lyserg-kun is asking me about what happened yesterday, or about wearing a dress…   
"Do you think Hao-sama will do that today?" Matilda asks us excitedly. I'm assuming that is referring to the little exhibition Hao had yesterday…All off us pointedly ignore Matilda. 

Yoh-kun's group goes straight after the pervious group in order to maintain the flow of the play.

"_And those things do best please me that befall prepst'rously._" Finishes Chocolove (he makes a brilliant Puck), and we applaud. Following shortly, a gruff looking Ren-kun stumbles on, and feverishly strides away from a following Yoh-kun. A few squeals can be heard throughout the audience, at the sight of Ren-kun. Most of them are from girls (ie the little shounen-ai fan girl sitting next to me), but I think I heard a couple of guys squeal… Seems Ren-kun is quite popular… Ren-kun maintains the gruff look, but somehow it looks more like a pout. Yoh-kun has a silly and slightly flimsy, grin on his face, following Ren-kun. I can't quite tell if Ren-kun is acting or not…then Yoh-kun spoke. 

"_Why should you think that I woo in scorn? Scorn and derision never come in tears._" I doubt my own ears for a split second. Make that ears and eyes. I see Yoh-kun in the classroom, looking sincerely at Ren-kun, lightly touching his arm. He's got a soft, yet sad expression shadowing his face, as his voice has a hint of pain and desperation. 

"Wow, he's good." Matilda whispers.

"_Scorn and derision never come in tears. Look when I vow, I weep; and vows so in their nativity all truth appears. How can these things in me seem scorn to you, bearing the badge of faith to prove them true?_"   
"_You do advance your cunning more and more._" Ren-kun hisses scathingly. OK, now I really can't tell if he's acting or not. It's as if the lines Ren-kun is saying are exactly what he is thinking. Well cast. Yoh-kun on the other hand… Wow, Anna-san's Spartan training yesterday must have really helped. For those who didn't know better, it sincerely sounds as if Yoh-kun loves Ren-kun. Hahaha… 

"_O Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, devine!_" Hao begins his lines by waking up, and glancing up at Ren-kun. I pull a face. Good lord, I hope he really doesn't have that exhibitionist streak in him…Ren-kun pulls a face as well, and backs away from Hao instinctively. I really don't blame him. 

"_To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne? Crystal is muddy! O, how ripe in show is thy lips, those kissing cherries tempting grow…_" Thank goodness Hao doesn't do what he did yesterday, but he does wrap one arm around Ren-kuns waist and draws him in, caressing his lips gently. I can hear Mati beside me having a fit of joy, whilst Lyserg-kun is restraining Marion with all his strength. 

"_You are unkind Demetrius;_" Yoh-kun says, with a hearty laugh, and pulls Hao's arm off Ren-kun, and eyes Hao levelly. "_be not so, for you love Hermia -this you know I know -_" 

Dear God. These twins are NOT acting. They are SINCERELY saying their lines. Unbeknownst to most… 

"_Lysander, keep thy Hermia. I will none._" Hao smiles back to Yoh-kun. VERY coldly. I shudder. I think Lyserg-kun's caught on to my vibe, and Ren-kun is looking very uncomfortable, stuck between the twins on stage. If this goes on, like a normal argument of the twins…all hell will break loose. Dear lord… 

"_Manta-kun…_" Lyserg began, and I looked up to him, sheepishly. "_Is…are…wait…_" Lyseg-kun rubs his temples. I laugh craggedly. I think he's caught on. I always thought Lyserg-kun was perceptive… 

Yoh-kun's group's act goes on. Anna-san and Ren-kun's bitch fight was scary. Like, REALLY scary. Anna-san's scary as it is, and Ren-kun was on the verge of exploding. Suppressed tensions were coming on the surface, it seems. 

"_Why, get you gone! Who is't that hinders you?_"   
"_A foolish heart that I leave here behind._"   
"_What, with Lysander?_" 

…Anna-san…

I'm sure Marion's act instilled more fear, but Anna-san's act just reinforced it. Their group's act seemed to knock the awe out of everyone. At the end, there was a HUGE applause. 

*** 

"See, that wasn't too bad, was it Ren?" Yoh-kun beams at Ren-kun, after all the acts had finished. Anna-san had disappeared somewhere, and Ren-kun, Yoh-ku, Hao and myself were left in an uninhabited classroom.   
"Wasn't too bad…?" Ren-kun rolls his eyes, and takes a gulp out of his bottle of milk. "Wasn't bad? It was the most humiliating thing I'd ever…"   
"But you looked so good." Hao laughs airily. Ren-kun shoots him an angry glare, his spike stretching. (^o^) "Come on, the auience loved you. You were so gorgeous." With this, Hao, again, so inconspicuously, slides his arm around Ren-kun's waist. He slowly leans into Ren-kun. "Though I must admit, I don't like sharing you with the rest of the class…" Hao smiles intimately. He is completely ignoring Yoh-kun and I. Ren-kun looks troubled, but then roughly pushed Hao away. 

"Sexual harassment!" Ren-kun screeched. Hao just smiles.   
"Hao," Yoh-kun begins, and stands beside Ren-kun. "Just leave him alone, OK? I don't think he's really interested in you…" Yoh-kun places his hand on Ren-kun's shoulder, rather protectively, and slightly possessively. Hao raises an eyebrow. Silence reigns. 

"Are you, Ren?" Hao suddenly asks Ren-kun. 

"Huh?" 

"Are you not interested in me?" 

"…" 

… 

Shifty silence… 

"I …" began Ren-kun, then he blushed and looked away. "Ineedtogohomeithinkmysister'smakingdinner." And with that incomprehensible verbal soup, Ren-kun fled the classroom. I stand there and gape. Hao shrugs, but has a smile tugging at his lips. 

"Well, what do you make of that, Mr "I-understand-what-Ren s-feeling"?" Hao says to Yoh-kun mockingly. Yoh-kun just smiles.   
"I'd say he he was embarrassed at being asked a question related to romance." He replied simply. Hao maintains a cool face, but I think I saw his upper lip twitch slightly…

"I think he's interested in me." Hao begins. 

"Maybe only because you look like me." Yoh-kun smiles.

"No, you look like me. I'm older."

"Yeah, but he likes me, so you look like me." 

Suddenly, the lights in the classroom disappear. 

"What!? WHAAAA…" I begin to panic, and bump into Yoh-kun. He just chuckled.   
"It's probably only a temporary blackout." 

Then, a blinding light appears in the door way of the classroom. 

It's as if eerie vocal music is playing in the background (insert X-Laws theme song thing). Smoke made from dried ice gathers around the feet of the SRC members, and a bright light is shining behind them all. Hao's pretty theatrical when he appears, but this is waaaay up the scale in (melo)dramaticness. I bet that Marco guy rehearses this holy entry afterschool. Iron Maiden Jeanne is standing in the center, looking serene as usual. Her faithful followers all stand behind her like some army, with the SRC arm bands gleaming silver. 

"Hao and Yoh Asakura." Jeanne starts, in her soft, innocent sounding voice. "You two, are vile." 

Yoh-kun grins, and Hao raises an eyebrow playfully. 

"You two are, according to sources, competing as to who can obtain Tao Ren's virginity first." At this accusation, Yoh-kun's face becomes jumbled.   
"What do you mean virginity? I don't know about Hao, but that's not what I'm after."  
"You mean that's not only what you're after." Hao breathes. I think Yoh-kun heard him.   
"Either way, you two are both striving for an unnatural copulation, which is against God's will. Those who practice sodomy will fall to Hell."  
"Thanks for the warning freako girl, but I plan to do whatever the hell I want to, and no one is going to stop me, least of all you SRC jerks who have no life." Hao says smoothly, raking his long hair up and scratching his head.  
"Freako girl! How dare you insult Jeanne!" Marco yells, the four cornered anger mark imprinted on his forehead.   
"Nah, Jeanne, do you really think that me wanting to be with Ren is wrong?" Yoh-kun addresses Jeanne, pointedly ignoring his twin and the yapping glasses guy.   
"It is unnatural, it should not happen, therefore it is against God's will, therefore it is evil." Jeanne plays her logic out. Yoh-kun nods.   
"I see. But that's the way you perceive the world, and that's fine with me as long as it doesn't bother me."  
"I think you misunderstand me." Jeanne smiles serenely. "I cannot allow this filthy competition to go on. I cannot allow you two to drag Tao Ren down the path of corruption and evil. I shall ask him to the Student Council , where he will be clean and safe from harm."   
""WHAT!?"" Hao and Yoh-kun synch. I still think it's very wrong when these two synch. 

"Harm? You call us harm?" Yoh-kun asks, devastated, and panicky. "And you aren't harmful? Brainwashing people, using violence on people just because they don't think the way you do?"   
"We are doing it for their best interest. We wish for the best of all man kind." … People like this are so hard to work with… 

"… I think there really isn't any way to get across a point to people like this, Yoh." Hao sighs out, and turns his back on the SRC to retreat.   
"Where do you think YOU'RE going?" Marco calls to Hao. Hao stops, and turns around to face him.   
"Wherever the hell I want to go. I get you're point, and frankly, I think it's a load of bullshit. Just don't mess with me if you know what's best for you." Hao's last sentence was spoken accompanied by the darkest smile I'd ever witnessed…and I have witnessed quite a few of those in my time. 

Hao has retreated, Yoh-kun and I stand there taking in the full glare of the SRC. I gulp.   
"Is there no way I can convince you to stop this meaningless opposition?" Jeanne asks Yoh-kun softly. Yoh-kun smiles, and shakes his head.   
"I can't help the way I feel about Ren." That's such a Yoh-kun thing to say, and I smile in relief. He'd never buckle under pressure from people like this. And I guess that's why he can go up against Hao as well…   
"That is unfortunate." Jeanne closes her eyes, looking very sad. "If we cannot convince you through words, we must convince you through actions." With those very dangerous words, Jeanne and the SRC members left. All except Lyserg, who stood there looking at Yoh-kun. 

"…so it is true that you're after Ren-kun." Lyserg starts softly. "Ahh." Yoh-kun admits. "Why, though?" Lyserg looks at Yoh-kun straight in the face. "Like Jeanne-sama said, it's unnatural. Besides, Anna-san likes you. She's a nice person, and she thinks well of you…"   
"I don't know Lyserg." Yoh-kun grimaces, but smiles breezily. "I don't care whether it's natural or not in the eyes of the world. It feels natural to me, so that's OK."   
"…" Lyserg doesn't say anything back.

***

"What do you want?" Hao asks the shadow standing behind him. Hao was sitting alone behind an old shelter shed, thinking when his train of thought was interrupted by the presence of an unwanted character. The shadow approaches Hao, and the figure of Anna Kyouyama appears. 

"It's unlike you to ever approach me. What is it that you want?" Hao smirks, but doesn't look at the girl. Anna doesn't move. The relationship between these two is kind of strange. Ages ago, Hao did try his luck with Anna, but was rewarded with an almighty slap. Both acknowledge the power each possesses, and to an extent, respects it. 

"It's about Yoh." Hao doesn't look back, and sits there for a while.   
"Why should anything about him concern me?"   
"Because it involves Ren." 

Hao's attention seemed caught, as he turned his head slightly to the direction Anna was standing.  
"I know you and Yoh are competing to see who can get Tao first. But I have no intensions of letting Yoh get Tao. Or Tao get Yoh." Anna closes her eyes, and folds her arms across her chest. 

"So you're suggesting an alliance?" Hao asks, amusement seeping into his voice. He still doesn't face her.  
"I want Yoh, you want Ren. Yoh wants Ren. I don't see any reason why we shouldn't band together. We really don't have much to lose."   
"How do you suggest we carry out this alliance?" Hao finally turns around to face Anna. His face is serene with a hint of amusement, but underneath god knows what emotions and thoughts are raging.   
"Who knows? When the time presents itself." Anna shrugs, somewhat nonchalantly. "But I know that when we go on our Biology field trip in a weeks time, it will rain, heavily then. We can use that to our advantage." Hao raises an eyebrow. "You're creative Hao. I'm sure you can spew up something."   
"The compliment is flattering, really." Hao smiles. "So you say we each lead the other off, and assist each other in doing so?"  
"In a nutshell, yes." Anna affirms with a nod.   
"Isn't it interesting that you should come to me with a proposition." Hao laughs, leaning back. "Fine, I'll go with this deal. But if you ever interfere with me…you understand, right?"  
"Sure." Anna nods, and the deal was set. Anna departs te scene, leaving a contemplative, yet content looking Hao alone. 

----------

Oooops, I realised that the last bit was in third person perspective, not Manta. o_0; Oh well...

The performance section dragged on a bit I feel...I was really running short of ideas, but now we hit into the second part of the test against charms, THE BIOLOGY FIELD TRIP! :3 Thanks to all those people who have reviewed, and all those people who've followed this since...like August. I'm slowing down on the update, but hopefully this will keep going...until I really run short of ideas.

And who's winning at this point in time? I have no idea. I CAN'T CHOOSE! *dies* And the X-Laws have made an appearance! *dum dum* The X-Laws story is a lot different in the manga, but I'll stick with the anime guidelines, because it makes things so much more simple. ;D And I feel that some of the characters are OOC, but IT'S ALL GOOD! I'm having fun, so it's all OK! :3 Hehehe, SRC Marco... 


End file.
